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After Peyton Manning announced his retirement on Monday, quarterback Trent Williams paid him tribute on social media by posting photos of himself from high school, college and with the Redskins wearing Manning's signature facemask.
All of which is to say there are so many ways in which to pay tribute to Manning's legacy.
Add another one to the list, or at least consider it.
On Tuesday, Ocean City, Md., mayor Rick Meehan sent a letter and a gift basket to Redskins Park with a special attention to Cousins. Trying to bank on Manning's recent retirement, Meehan asks Cousins if he will consider using his city's name as part of an on-field audible cadence – just as Manning used his signature call "Omaha" before the snap.
Here are the main snippets from the letter:
On March 7, the NFL lost one of the most well-known audibles called at the line of scrimmage when Peyton Manning announced his retirement: "Omaha." Regardless of team affiliations, I think we can agree Peyton has proved that shouting the name of Nebraska's biggest city was a winning tactic—he did win Super Bowl 50, after all! And, I'm sure quarterbacks like yourself are now in search for a city of your own to bark during games. I'm Rick Meehan, Mayor of Ocean City, Maryland (OCMD), and I'm here to recommend you pick our wonderful town to help take your legacy to new heights.
Meehan then goes on to explain all of the wonderful attractions that bring beachgoers to his city each year. Would yelling "Ocean City," or "OC" for short, really add to Cousins' legacy? The logic might be faulty. Did Omaha really enhance Manning's legacy? Or did Manning enhance Omaha's? Hmm…
Now Kirk, we know you've got your own catchphrase that galvanized Washington last season. Still, we think that you'll certainly like the option to create your own in-game call as well. After working in Washington for the last few years, you know that OCMD is where many of your fans vacation. While you're certainly invited to spend your off-season (or, vacation days, as we call them) in OCMD, we'd settle for a few mentions each game at the line of scrimmage. I hope you take this request into consideration, and know that OCMD is ready to be part of your career long term. We hope to see you soon and wish you the best of luck this season!
If this were to happen, how would all those kind Virginia Beach vacationers feel? It might be more trouble than it's worth. To curry some favor, the Mayor's office also sent along some beach material, including caramel corn.
Now, it should also be noted, in the email I received about this note, Joe Flacco, Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning were also contacted with a similar letter. Ocean City, Md. is not messing around, folks. Can you imagine four quarterbacks using "Ocean City" to call an audible?
Neither can I.
A valiant effort by the city's PR team, but it would be reasonable to think that Cousins' nod to Manning's legacy will start and end with his helmet.
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